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I just bought an E30 cabrio and it needs some work. I've been modding my E46 by buying parts from the U.S. and would like to get parts for the E30 locally, if possible. I would like your suggestions since you know E30s well as to what's a decent brand and the place to get them.

The cabrio has the following immediate issues:
- muffler is shot, so I might as well get a high flowing and nice sounding muffler
- needs tires so might as well get 16" or 17" rims and tires instead of spending money on 14"s

Later, I also need to address the following:
- rides pretty high so lowering springs or coilovers will be needed
- leans too much so stronger sways and a front strut bar might be needed
- roof motor doesn't work
- antenna doesn't work
- needs a short shifter
- probably a CAI and MarkD chip after the all of the above are done

I have 2 front fk springs for an e30 touring. I complained that mine were too low in the rear and they sent me ones for an e30 touring so it would be higher.

I have the rear ones but they are gonna be low

Not sure if I understood you.... so the E30 touring springs are appropriate for cabrio? And you only have the fronts? If anyone has the springs for rear then we have a set and I'd definitely be interested.

Ok, on all e30s The springs are the same (except iX), But with the different models you will get a different amount of Drop. Depending on the weight. (ie. 318i less drop, bcus its lighter. Touring/Cabrio More drop, bcus its heavier)

My car (E30 325i Sedan) sat really low in the rear, so they sent me a set of springs that were made for an e30 Touring(wagon). I only used the rears, bcus I like the front as it is. This braught the rear up a bit. .

Im guessin the springs for an e30 touring, either is longer, or has higher spring rates, since the touring is heavier in the rear.

Cabrios are a bit heavier, so springs for a touring should match up since they are both heavier than a sedan.

Thing is, I only have the fronts I didn't use. I do have a set of rears, but they were pretty low for me, and they are gonna be even lower for you, bcus of the wieght in the back.

Cabrio owners have used sedan/coupe srpings, they jus get more of a drop. Than they would if it was on a sedan/coupe.

Wheels: Your taste varies, but have a good hard look at the Kopi Alpina replicas (http://www.abrahamsmotorsport.com/wheels.htm). You'll find that almost every wheel will require spacers to work, but these don't, along with a few other notables (Ronal LS and Kosei K1 in 15", for instance).

Suspension: For moderate lowering (most cars you see), look into H&R Sport springs and Bilstein Sport dampers. Nicely controlled ride, good stance. If you want really low, the H&R Cup Kit will slam it, as well as the multiple coilover routes (Ground Control, H&R, KW, etc.). You may want to go with the coilovers just to get the right height, cabrios are tricky,

Sways: There are many setups available, such as Eibach, Ireland Engineering, RD, etc. There is a very good thread on R3VLimited on those (more on that site later).

Short Shifter: The Z4 3.0 rod is the way to go (no need for super-expensive kits like in the E46). Again, there is a very detailed thread on R3V about these.

CAI: No such thing, but a K&N Cone with a heatshield (Eric Lukas makes one, I can pass on contact info for him) will provide a great sound, if not much performance (the AFM is the bottleneck).

Chip: MarkD 91/93 or nothing.

Anyways, glad to see you've come over to the dark side, Josel. I highly recommend checking out www.r3vlimited.com, it's the largest collection of knowledgeable E30 guys out there. Flame wars are rampant, but the info is unbeatable.

Ok, on all e30s The springs are the same (except iX), But with the different models you will get a different amount of Drop. Depending on the weight. (ie. 318i less drop, bcus its lighter. Touring/Cabrio More drop, bcus its heavier)

My car (E30 325i Sedan) sat really low in the rear, so they sent me a set of springs that were made for an e30 Touring(wagon). I only used the rears, bcus I like the front as it is. This braught the rear up a bit. .

Im guessin the springs for an e30 touring, either is longer, or has higher spring rates, since the touring is heavier in the rear.

Cabrios are a bit heavier, so springs for a touring should match up since they are both heavier than a sedan.

Thing is, I only have the fronts I didn't use. I do have a set of rears, but they were pretty low for me, and they are gonna be even lower for you, bcus of the wieght in the back.

Cabrio owners have used sedan/coupe srpings, they jus get more of a drop. Than they would if it was on a sedan/coupe.

Hey, how much do you want for the rears!!??? I might be looking for something extra low! i already have fronts that are low enaugh, but need the rear...